Wheat (Triticum aestivum and related species) is a grass domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 10,000 years ago. It has since become one of the most important food crops in human history, cultivated on every continent except Antarctica and forming a dietary staple for billions of people.
The wheat grain consists of three parts: the starchy endosperm (the bulk of white flour), the fibre-rich bran (the outer layer), and the nutrient-dense germ (the embryo of the plant). These components are separated during milling to produce different types of flour and wheat products.
Wheat’s importance lies in its gluten proteins, which give dough its elastic, cohesive structure — the property that makes leavened bread possible. Different wheat varieties (hard, soft, durum) suit different purposes, from bread and pasta to pastries and noodles. Australia is a major wheat producer and exporter, with the crop grown across the southern grain belt.
How it's produced
Wheat is an annual crop sown in autumn or spring depending on the variety and climate. In Australia, most wheat is winter wheat, sown between April and June and harvested from October to January. It is grown as a dryland (rain-fed) broadacre crop across large farms in the wheat belt regions of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland.
Modern wheat farming involves mechanical sowing, fertiliser application (particularly nitrogen and phosphorus), weed and pest management, and combine harvesting. After harvest, grain is stored in silos and transported to flour mills or export terminals. Australia typically produces 25–35 million tonnes per year, with the majority exported.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Sources & methods →
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